Our first self-led PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) under the leadership of PADI Course Director Daniel “KID” Kistler was a great success. Six candidates from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Cyprus participated, and five of them passed the subsequent Instructor Examination (IE) on their first attempt. In this article, we share our key insights and experiences from the course, along with valuable tips on how future IDC candidates can best prepare for success.